episode_0007

The emotional dawn passed.

The bright morning sun pushed away the worries and anxieties of the night, leaving only a vague sense that everything would be okay. In the early hours, fear and anxiety had dominated me, but looking back now, I don’t know why I was so shaken.

This is the power of morning. The distractions have vanished.

However, with a clear mind, I realized that the events of the early morning would become a shameful memory to cringe at in the distant future. A humiliating memory periodically resurrected deep in the subconscious.

“What the heck!! What did I leave by my side? A kid???”

I pulled at my hair, recalling last night’s disgrace.

Crazy woman.

What on earth did I do in my underwear last night…

Stop talking nonsense, just stop. Why did I want you to stay by my side? Even thinking about it, I really seemed crazy. I wonder what Yulia thought seeing me like that. Surely she didn’t realize I was someone else?

Self-disgust overwhelmed me.

If I keep tossing and turning on the bed, I’ll end up kicking off the thin blanket, so I should leave the room.

I quickly changed clothes and left the room.

I didn’t have a specific destination in mind.

*

Whoosh! Swish!

I found myself swinging a wooden sword aimlessly in the training ground.

It seems like quite some time has passed since I heard the sound of the wind cutting through the sword.

My muscles ached all over, but I didn’t care. There’s nothing like physical exertion to forget one’s distractions. If I stop swinging the sword, last night’s disgrace will come to mind.

And… I was impatient. The body I possessed, Beatrice, is an adult and is on the verge of entering the academy. But even so, she’s too weak. Perhaps due to lack of ability, she might fail to enter the academy.

“That can’t happen.”

At least I need to align with the novel’s plot and use the contents of my memory to survive in this world. The author who possessed me is hoping to be entwined with the protagonist, and if it’s not the academy, it might be difficult to even encounter them.

Even if it’s a false identity, the protagonist, Karl Meiner, is a noble of the empire, while I am just a common viscount from a neighboring country. Without the intersection called the academy, it’s an opponent I can’t even dare to look at.

Someone said that love is like real estate, where location is important.

It’s not just about social status, economic position, external conditions, and other vertical positions.

The “location” that is physically close.

When the body moves away, the heart moves away too. Everything ultimately starts from being close. It has to be noticeable, nerve-wracking, and make you think.

How much effort did I put into hesitating in front of Yeonghee?

Wait, why am I approaching this from a romantic perspective?

At this rate, I’m acting like a desperate woman trying to seduce a man, aren’t I?

“Aaah!!!”

I threw my sword on the ground and stomped my feet.

“I am a man. I am a man. I am a man.”

Yeah.. I just want to be a good study partner and friend.

Friendship..? Is that possible?

With this kind of beauty..?

Can I maintain boundaries with this overwhelming femininity, this exquisite appearance, by my side? That guy?

Before possessing her, she was a female reader, so it would have been nice if I didn’t feel anything seeing another woman’s face….

Even though I tried to focus on training using my body, I couldn’t help but fall into contemplation.

This won’t work.

Being alone is dangerous.

I escaped from the training ground and searched for the next destination.

If it’s Blair’s Spartan training, wouldn’t I stop having useless thoughts? However, for some reason, I couldn’t find Blair and the viscount anywhere, not even at mealtime or anywhere else.

“Did they go out somewhere?”

I was wandering around the mansion, giving up on finding Blair.

A maid with silver hair who was taking care of a flower vase in the hallway caught my eye.

Despite the distance, her strikingly dense facial features were impressive.

She put down the flower vase she was holding and politely waited for me to approach.

What should I say…

“Thank you for being with me in the early morning?”

“Forget about yesterday’s incident?”

No, these are words that a man and a woman who accidentally ended up in bed together might exchange.

“Good morning, Yulia. The weather is really nice, isn’t it?”

Should I respond nonchalantly as if nothing happened? No, that would probably make it even more awkward.

The dilemma deepened, but there was no time.

Pretend –

Before I knew it, I had arrived in front of Yulia.

“Miss Beatrice.”

Yulia adjusted her skirt and curtsied slightly.

“Yeah, that’s right, Yulia. By any chance, do you know where my father and mother are?”

After much consideration, I decided not to mention yesterday’s incident as if I didn’t know.

“The viscount has gone to the capital. His Majesty the King is expected to preside over a meeting.”

“Is my mother with him?”

“The viscountess remains on the estate, but she has left the mansion for other matters. She may not return for a day or two.”

“I see…”

There won’t be any progress in training until Blair returns.

But how could these nobles leave their daughter without a word and go out overnight? Ah… It raised serious doubts about the conduct of the Daliah family. As someone who tried to pass as a Confucian gentleman, it was an unfamiliar situation for me.

“Um… Miss Beatrice? About yesterday morning…”

Oh… don’t do that, Yulia. Please don’t bring that up…

As the disgrace of the morning came to mind, I couldn’t help but blush.

“Huh? Ahaha… Thank you for yesterday, Yulia. It must have been difficult because of me?”

“No, it wasn’t difficult.”

“….”

A few seconds of silence passed. It was an awkward silence.

“Can you tell me what happened last night?”

Yulia broke the silence, her eyes shining like amethyst.

“That… I had a dream, a very frightening dream.”

“Really?! Do you remember the details? Please tell me, Miss Beatrice!”

Yulia approached excitedly. I felt sorry for continuing to cause her worry.

It felt like the world was coming to an end. The sight of many people dying and getting hurt… But it seemed like I had made it that way.

“……”

It was sad… Everyone blamed me. No, they cursed me and wished for my death. In the end, their wish came true. I died in the dream.

……

There was no response.

“It’s nothing, right? Just a nightmare. A common bad dream.”

Yulia didn’t want to make Yulia worry anymore. So she forced a smile.

“Well, then, I’ll go look for Theo.”

She wanted to end the uncomfortable conversation under the pretext of playing with Theo. Passing by the frozen Yulia, she took a few steps forward and called out.

“I…! I will always be with Lady Beatrice.”

“Huh?”

“If, really if everyone curses Lady Beatrice in the dream… I will stay by her side until the end.”

Yulia’s voice calling out to me was full of trembling. I couldn’t understand the reason.

“Thank you, even if it’s just words, Yulia. But don’t take the contents of the dream too seriously~ It’s just a mere dream, isn’t it?”

I waved my hand and gradually moved away from Yulia.

Her loyalty was truly surprising. Yesterday’s happening seemed to be a serious matter that she should pay attention to, not an embarrassing incident for her. So being left alone would not be polite to her.

Thinking that I found someone to rely on in this possessed novel, my steps became lighter. I need to go find Theo soon. To my brother who becomes my sanctuary in this novel.

*

-Chyaak!

“Cough!!”

“Gah!”

The end wasn’t long.

Because their breath was cut off without a scream.

The necks of the generals were sharply severed and rolled to the ground, and some were cut up and down. A belated fountain of blood spurted out.

The robe-clad woman’s sword was clean and black. It was quickly unsheathed without a speck of flesh or blood. The woman slowly moved forward into the room. Corpses piled up behind her footsteps.

“Stop her! Stop that monster!”

“Damn it! Being ambushed by just one person? Us!?”

Even those who fiercely swung their swords, those who cast powerful killing spells, and those who threw themselves to save their comrades all became lumps of flesh before the woman’s sword. Yet, there was no one trying to escape from this gruesome scene. They, too, had a sense of duty like the woman. Their purposes conflicted with each other.

“Ugh… Ugh.”

The man who seemed to be in charge here was breathing heavily.

The woman had reached the deepest part of the intruder’s base and could confront the man. There were no survivors along her path. The man in front of her was the last one. Soon, she would complete her mission and be able to return.

Judging by the man’s condition, the outcome was already leaning in her favor. He put up a fight, but he couldn’t become the woman’s opponent. The man himself also sensed his impending death.

“How foolish. Forming an investigation team with such mediocre skills.”

The woman sneered as she lowered the hood covering her face. As the hidden figure was revealed, the man flinched.

Blair de Dalia.

The Countess of Premira Kingdom had no intention of sparing her opponent. Revealing her identity was because the man relatively provided her with enjoyable opposition.

“The Inquisition Bureau has weakened a lot. Have you been intoxicated by long-lasting peace?”

Her usual gentleness and kindness were nowhere to be found in her attitude of trampling over the enemy.

“Huh. Hahaha! Hahaha!”

“Are you delusional? Your mission has utterly failed.”

The man barely stopped his laughter, whether it was a sob or a guffaw.

“Haha. Dalia… It was indeed you guys.”

“Is that all you have to say?”

“The chief is truly remarkable. A genius, they say.”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Let’s finish this slowly.”

Blair approached the muttering man.

“Kick! Do you think you’ve won? Blair de Dalia. Where is your husband right now? In the capital? And where is your son? Ah! Here he is! Yes, yes, he’s gone far away. Pfft.”

“…….”

Blair’s face twisted as she listened to the man’s words. Her eyes filled with astonishment, and she lunged, thrusting her sword into the man’s shoulder. It wasn’t the assassin’s blade that had been cutting off his breath until now; it was a sword filled with rage.

“Aaargh!”

“What do you mean!!! Tell me right now!!”

Blair adjusted her grip on the hilt and stabbed again, changing the direction of the blade to inflict unbearable pain.

“Ugh!”

“If you want to die peacefully, speak now.”

“Ugh… Yes, it would be nice to see your woman suffering in despair. The Baron knew. About you! That’s why he came up with this operation.”

“Operation!?”

“Do you think our information about reaching this far just happened to fall into your hands? Especially at a time when the Viscount had to evacuate his territory?”

Blair withdrew the sword and stepped back. She was the winner of the fight and would be the survivor, but she suffered as if death were imminent.

“No.. No..! No!!!”

“We said our skills were inadequate, didn’t we? Expect ‘the rest’ not to have it easy. Hmph!”

“You..!”

After hesitating, Blair regained her composure and approached the man.

“This will complete the martyrdom. When the Baron returns to the capital with the heads of the impure ones, our sacrifice will also be known. And future generations will call us heroes!”

-Slash!

The man’s body was split horizontally.

Blair put the bloodied sword back in its sheath and started running. There was no time to waste. She didn’t believe in God, but this time, she prayed to reach there in time, just this once.

-Thud! Thud!

However, she was not a magician, and the distance to the territory was too far. Her heart beat faster than at any moment in her life, and an overwhelming passion engulfed her beyond limits. All she could do was pray and run.

She whipped the horse she found in the middle, but it was still a dark street. Tears were fluttering behind her before they could even flow, carried away by the wind.

She will regret this night.

Forever.